Debate of the Day: So How About that First Class Trailer?

Yesterday, I sat around hitting F5 during my JoBlo.com shift to be able to be the first person on the planet to post the X-Men: First Class trailer. Sadly, I didn’t get to write about it there as Fox decided to sit on their hands for about three hours, but I thought we could discuss it here today.

I’m curious to see what you guys thought of it, as I have mixed feelings myself.

The Good:

Fassbender Magneto looks like a total badass.

The retro look could makes the series fresh again.

January Jones makes anything better.

The Bad:

Still too many mutants, that’s been the main problem with all the movies.

Not even the right mutants, this is the “first class” yet there’s no Cyclops, Angel, Iceman or Jean Grey. What the hell?

That music in the background. Pretty sure I could play that one-chord track.

The Ugly:

Mystique went from Rebecca Romijn-Stamos to total fug.

The CGI in general, but especially during the transformations of Mystique, Emma Frost and Beast.

Yellow costumes seem good in theory, not as much in practice.

I’m skeptical, and I don’t think that was a very well-put together trailer despite it’s most cool visuals, but I’ll definitely be seeing it however it ends up being.

About The Author

Paul

I think I'm a part of the first generation of journalists to skip print media entirely, and I've learned a lot these last few years at Forbes. My work has appeared on TVOvermind, IGN, and most importantly, a segment on The Colbert Report at one point.

frog212

I’m excited. Looks like nightcrawler is in this too. but yea, hopefully the focus will be on Xavier and Magneto.

Bandit

I pray for horrible trailers in the hopes that they are leaving everything in the movie and not showing it.

Hate hate hate when a full movie is put in a trailer.

p.s. Too many mutants? What are you, a gay?

Surly Canadian

I agree; too many mutants, and I’m horrified that beast is the only actual original team member in this movie.

It’s nice to see Magneto with some burliness again. I always thought Ian McKellen, though great, was a weird choice to play one of the most deep- voiced, solilioquy-penchant villain.

I’m happy about the yellow suits; finally someone has the balls to make x-men costumes the way they were originally.

Schiapu

I don’t think that cyclops and jean grey were even born, judging by the time during which the moive occurs. It sure would be nice to se old Wolverine with those kids, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen either

Murderbot

Agreed with Surly. Magneto was miscast last time.
Should have been Terence Stamp dammit!

They seem to have gotten it right this time though, Fassbender seems to fit the role like a glove!

Sam

@frog212
nightcrawler isn’t in this but his dad, azazel, is. They have similar abilities but azazel is red

Surly Canadian

Malcolm McDowell would have been a fantastic present-day Magneto as well.

I don’t doubt for a moment that they’re going with that “Jean and Scott werent born back then” reason in this movie, but that means that The White Queen, Beast and Havok (who is Cyclop’s younger brother) are at least 20 years older than Angel, Iceman, Cyclops and Jean Grey; four out of five of the original members along with Beast.

MGoddette82

I have to say it looks interesting, as for the cast of mutants I think it makes pretty good sense, Cyclops, and the rest were not the “first” class. I think the older timeline will be great kind of like Watchmen, I def think wolverine needs to make an appearance, though there would be no adamantium in him yet so that would be interesting, though I agree will never happen. I think this movie will be lost though, between Thor and Capt. America coming this year I think x-men have lost their edge and I agree I’m kind of tired of watching Marvels version of the Civil Rights Movement

Josh

I think you’re overanalyzing a trailer.

The CGI is still not finished and probably won’t be for another month.
I agree the Mystique is no longer hot, but… maybe that’s the point? She is a shapeshifter, afterall.
Music… again, it’s a trailer. That’s a song from a trailer music house, possibly Cliff Lin, Groove Addicts, or Two Steps From Hell (not enough orchestra to be them, though)

I agree with their choice to use different mutants. Iceman, Cyclops, and Jean Gray are used up, in my eyes. Angel was wasted in Last Stand, too, and isn’t exactly usable in my eyes. That said, they also run into the age problem. Angel is mid 20’s in Last Stand… yet First Class is set in the 60’s. Same with Iceman. Cyclops and Jean Gray are mid 30’s, so you still have the same problem.

The yellow costumes can work, I think, especially given the era and the lack of a true mutant holocaust during the time. I think the point is to stand out and it looks like they’re doing so while using accurate fabrics and styles from the era (Matthew Vaughn is insane when it comes to details. Like Zack Snyder and Ridley Scott insane)

And I have to disagree as well about it being poorly put together. I felt it was put together perfectly. It’s a teaser trailer, nothing more. It had a task: make the world know that this is a prequel set in the 60’s during the Cuban Missile Crisis and that it will lead into Magneto becoming the villain. They did exactly that and showed off some pretty cool visuals (although the transformations aren’t quite right, it looks like, there is still another month to do finishing touches, like I said)

Gale

I love Nicholas Hoult but I seriously can’t see him pulling of Beast, just seems odd. But you never know, it might work
not sure if I want to see this, I didn’t really love any of the films in the past, might give it a chance though

Josh

@MGoddette82

Actually… they were. If you read the First Class comics, the main mutants are X, Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Gray, Beast, Angel, and Iceman.

Surly Canadian

To MGoddette82:

Go learn about the X-Men. 1st Issue of the X-Men was released in September 1963 and Beast, Cyclops, Angel, Jean Grey and Iceman are the only X-Men; thus making them the “First Class”.

I can see that they opted to use different characters because Cyclops, Iceman and Jean Grey are old news, but that’s no excuse for fundamentally altering the original lineup.

Making a new trilogy set in the past would have been the perfect opportunity to reboot (or exorcized, in my opinion) the first trilogy and set things right, such as the collossal fuck up in ages (Rogue and Iceman being nearly a generation younger than the other main characters).

gve

I agree with Josh, MGoddette82 have you ever even read an X-men comic?

DarkPassenger29

The new Mystique is hot… I’d say more than January Jones.

Ugo Strange

Trailer looks good. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are gonna be the best things about this movie already (Kevin Bacon not withstanding because he wasn’t in the trailer so I have yet to see). Couple of things, yeah they got the entire 1st Class wrong. Secondly…I don’t see the deal with January Jones…I mean she’s pretty and all but…I mean her kinda pretty has been done a thousand times over. And yeah, TOO MANY damn mutants!!

Ugo Strange

Oh yeah, and WHY DON’T WE HAVE THE REST OF THE HELLFIRE CLUB?!

Surly Canadian

@ Ugo Strange
I guess too many of you were looking at The White Queens rack to notice Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and Harry Leland (guessing there) standing next to her. At another part of the trailer, Sebastian Shaw helps someone off the floor.

Also: Anyone else notice that Erik and Charles seem to have gone to a mutant stripshow, based on the topless, insect winged lady standing in front of them while they appeared to be sipping wine on a double sized chaise lounge?

Elnino

Personally, I really liked the trailer.

We’ll see how Director Matthew Vaughn does with “too many mutants,” but if you look back at the previous films, they always had an ensemble cast and Singer did a good job balancing main characters, supporting characters, and cameos with the first two films. As long as the film never loses sight of the central characters (Magneto and Charles), I think it’ll be fine.

As for the First Class complaints, the movie seems to be in some sort of loose continuity with the original trilogy. In that regard, it makes sense Cyclops, Iceman, Jean, and Angel aren’t in the film, they wouldn’t even be born yet by this point. And it makes sense for Beast and Azazel (Nightcrawler’s father) to be in this film.

The changed lineup also gives a chance for Vaughn to play with characters that don’t have so many expectations on them. Speaking of Havok, it’s obvious it’s not the exact same character from the comics and with adaptations, there’s always going to be changes. The problem for me, is that one of Havok’s defining personality traits is that he always lived under the shadow of his fearless, leader brother. Don’t know how that will work here.

As for the effects, I just hope they clean it all up in post, otherwise we’ll have another Wolverine on our hands with some of the worst looking effects.

Overall I thought it was a great trailer, it didn’t give too much away like most trailers do, it provided a date, and the premise. I’m fine with that.

Gank

Oscar Nominee Jennifer Lawrence is the new Mystique. To call her a “fug” is bordering on Mr. Magoo blindness.

Checkout Winter’s Bone. It won Sundance last year, it was just nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and Lawrence easily delivers a performance equal to that of Portman’s.

DO IT DO IT DO IT.

Gank

Oh, and the trailers to all of Vaughn’s films have sucked, sucked, sucked. It is almost as if on purpose, because I always come out pleasantly surprised from viewing each and every one of them due to lowered expectations.

shane

has anyone figured out the song for the trailer? i’d really like to know what it is but cant seem to find it.

also, im an avid comic fan.. they screwed the movie and storyline, altered it quite a bit. does it still look awesome.. yes. will i see it, yes. its made for everyone to understand and enjoy and make money.. not just us comic readers.

Looks like you stepped in it this time Paul. Seems like you made up “The Bad” because you were expected to. You’ll be there with the rest of us on opening night giggling like a school girl.

And for the Wolverine fans. Sorry, this timeline doesn’t fit with Wolverine’s movie which ties in with original trilogy. It happened in the late 70s. Plus, Emma was a teen in it. Which means this movie can’t be following any of the movies…wait, didn’t they use clips…I’m confused…Hulk brain hurt….

Sara C.

Calling a woman who looks like Jennifer Lawrence fug: how do you think that makes the average woman who reads Unreality feel? You’re better than that, Paul.

In a related note, yay to casting a woman who can act, as opposed to just being able to look good in blue latex. Plus, I bet she also looks good in blue latex.

Ugo Strange

@Surrly

Actually, I was referring to the cast list. I’ve seen the trailer several times and I don’t see anyone listed in the cast for Harry Leland or Donald Pierce.

Surly Canadian

@ Uggo

fair point; but this is the debate on the trailer

Ugo Strange

I can dig it. n_n;;

HaVeN

If you want to nitpick about the ages of the original lineup (Cyclops, Iceman, Jean, Angel), then the current one doesn’t make a lick of sense either causing continuity problems. Havok is Cyclops’ brother, Cyclops partners with Emma Frost after Jean’s death and Angel Salvadore (the girl with the wings) definitely was not born yet.

And yes, too many mutants in this film. It would be a better idea to just remove Azazel and Angel Salvadore.

JDR

I hate to pile on, but Jennifer Lawrence is hot, Tassi you are high on crack. I just wish they would push the boundaries with comic book films. I love X-Men, but we have done it already…three times. The new Captian America and Green Lantern look like shit, something different needs to be done with the comic film genre.

Fattydah

WTF, it’s following the time line set by the first three movies. Does anyone else understand that but me? It doesn’t follow any comic book’s story or time line. Some of you are idiots.

Surly Canadian

@ Fattyday

In which case, they still fucked up since this one takes place in 1962, during the cuban missle crisis. If you guess Beasts age at 16-19 years old in 1962, than he would be anywhere from 60-63 years old by the time 2006 rolled around when Kelsey Grammer played him in X3.

Charles is even more messed up. If you say he’s thiry ish, as James McAvoy is in real life, than he’d be 74 years old by the time his body was obliterated in X3.

Moira is the same. Olivia Williams hardly passed for 40 in X3, let alone the senior citizen status she would have to be to say that First Class is following the timeline of the original trilogy.

These details are so tiny and mundane that it’s insulting that they can’t get them right.

The age differences between the main characters in the first three movies was a horrific mistake, and this would have been a perfect time to make a new trilogy and ignore the events of the first trilogy; ergo fixing all of the mistakes.

elnino

@Surly Canadian

Yeah it’s a little bit messed up. But like you said these details are so tiny and mundane, isn’t it nitpicking a bit.

Sure it places Beast in his early 60’s by the time X3 comes around, but let’s be honest, he’s probably in his late 50’s anyways.

Same thing for Mags and Charles who are about the same age. Don’t forget Mags was around during WWII as well.

Moira is the biggest mess-up really.

But honestly who gives a fuck about the ages, if the movie is good the movie is good, if the movie is bad, the movie is bad. The ages aren’t going to really change that.

In all honesty, I like the original trilogy, even X-3 (none of them are perfect mind you and X-3 probably has the most mess-ups) but in all honesty, it’s too soon for a reboot. I think even Spider-man being rebooted this soon is ridiculous. The only way I would agree with a reboot, is if the director had a unique vision that they wouldn’t be able to do in the established universe.

I quite like the universe and the rules Singer set up. And obviously Matthew Vaughn is a pretty talented director, and his vision seems like he wants to tell a story about Magneto and Xavier. He obviously doesn’t need Bobby, Scott, Jean, and Warren to tell that story and he can do it in the confines of loose continuity.

Also Fox HAS to make X-men films every so often otherwise they lose the rights back to Marvel, and one more thing, Hugh Jackman is PERFECT as Wolverine. A reboot would nix that as well.

Surly Canadian

I agree, Hugh Jackman, aside from being way too tall and Australian made a pretty fantastic Wolverine. Rebooting wouldn’t change the fact that there’s already been a stand-alone Wolverine (with another one a year or so away) starring Hugh Jackman. Also: Wolverine came 15 years after the formation of the X-Men, there’s no need or point to have him in this new trilogy, so there would be no worry about rebooting his character with another actor.

Little details are important; don’t kid yourself. If you don’t think so, then you’re sloppy. X-Men fans don’t want loose translations of the cannon storyline; we want tight ones; epically shot and scored with the right amount of humour and seriousness. Don’t bother trying to squeeze a story as huge as the Pheonix saga into a single movie; it needs at least it’s own trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.

Xavier and Magneto have NEVER been depicted as 70 year olds. Ian McKellen was by far the oldest, meekest depiction of Magneto in any medium and he was 58 when he portrayed Magneto. People keep forgetting that it was 1962 when the X-Men were created, and back then, to have Magneto go through the Holocaust as a boy was fine because it meant he would be in his LATE THIRTIES when he first started tangling with the X-Men.

In the first X-Men movie, the X-Men (apart from Xavier) didnt even know who Magneto was until he was pushing 60? I dont know how to tell you this, but that’s a giant fucking age discrepancy and the first of many mistakes Bryan Singer has made. He was so loose with his adaptation of the X-Men that he pretty much dared Brett Ratner to push the envelope of disrespectful bastardization.

And if this is the story of Charles and Erik and doesn’t need…. the X-MEN in it, why are there so many other goddamn mutants in it? why do we have Havok, Emma Frost, Mystique, Beast, Banshee, Sebastian Shaw, Azazel, and a slew of other minor characters?

elnino

@ Surly:

On Wolvie: Hugh is tall, and that’s been an issue, but outside of that he’s been pretty much perfect. Even Aronofsky who’s working on the new film, has said that he wants Hugh to gain even more mass in order to look shorter and surly. Just because of this, I already love Aronofsky. Yeah you’re right, there’s no need for him to be in a new trilogy, and I honestly I wouldn’t want Wolvie in any new X-men films anyways (reboot or not). I think the issue is that it’s going to be strange that there’s a remnant of the previous trilogy running around in his own series, and there’s a new trilogy at the same time.

On Details: I never said little details aren’t important, but there’s little details and there’s nitpicking, and sometimes I think we are soo critical that it borderlines nitpicking.

On Phoenix and Adaptations of the books: I am an X-men fan as well, I’m not a super-fan, but I grew up on the original Animated Series, and I’ve read some of the Claremont stories.

As for super direct translations, well that’s not the greatest idea either, I mean Watchmen was almost a shot for shot translation and it honestly wasn’t that hot. I still enjoyed it, but there was almost no director vision, shit, the best part of the film was the opening credits. I’ve read the stories, I’ve seen that vision, now I want to see somebody else’s vision.

I personally wouldn’t want a trilogy for the Phoenix Saga and with the semi-realistic world they’ve set up for the X-men in the films, let’s be honest, a tight translation (with the Shiar and the alien entity, and going to space) would have never worked. I actually really liked how they did Phoenix in X-2 before they screwed up Dark Phoenix in X-3.

I honestly think the problem wasn’t that they were trying to squeeze the Phoenix story in a single film, the problem was they were trying to squeeze three other stories to go with it.

You want super-tight adaptations, I’d say the 90’s Animated Series was pretty good for that.

On Mags and Prof X: You hit the nail on the head, to have Mags go through the Holocaust in 1962 when the team was created was fine, because it was still relatively recent. The issue is that it’s such an integral part of Mags character that it’s almost impossible not to include it. And by including it, you automatically make Mags a lot older than he should be. It really is a bind. My question to you is, how would you incorporate this integral aspect and still make that character “the right age”?

Yup the film was made in 2000, so yeah, the Magneto character would be pushing 60. But again, how would you fix the age discrepancy without losing that integral part of Magneto’s character. It’s not like they could do what they did to Tony Stark in the Iron Man film and instead of Vietnam move the incident to Afghanistan. The only thing I can think of for Mags is setting the film in the past when it came out, so instead of it being set in 2000, the year it came out, it should have been set in what 1970. Which is kind of what we’re getting now. I don’t know. I’m really interested to hear your response on this.

On other mutants: Finally, you misunderstood what I said on the X-men not needing to be in it. I meant that the vision that Vaughan and the scriptwriters had/have is mainly a story about Erik and Charles (don’t forget we were originally going to get a Magneto movie before this First Class came about), so it doesn’t necessarily need the comics canon first class (Bobby, Warren, Jean, Scott, and Hank). That doesn’t mean that Vaughan doesn’t want any other mutant in there. He just didn’t need those specific mutants.

As for why do we have the characters we have: The film seems to be running a couple storylines (which I admit, does worry me): A) You have the story of Eric and Charles friendship and the first time they take on leadership roles, well they can’t lead a first class without some members (Beast, Mystique, Banshee, and Havok), Moira helping them out it looks like.

Next you have the story of a clash between Xavier and Erik’s clash with the the Hellfire club and it’s members (Shaw, Azazel, and Frost). Shaw and Frost traditional members, and Azazel thrown in to have some continuity in terms of Nightcrawler’s appearance in the second film (who was a standout character in the original trilogy).

It looks like Darwin and Angel amount to little more than cameos. Angel looks to be some sort of stripper for the hellfire club. Also both are in the trailer for little more than a second.

Because the supporting characters are not from the A-list (except for maybe Beast and Frost, especially now with Frost being a highly important member in the comics now), it comes with less stress. Vaughan gets to play with characters that don’t have huge expectations on them, I’d rather he use these characters, because if he shoe-horned in the original first class and didn’t give them the time or development that people wanted, people would be upset (remember how useless that Angel plot was in X-3). It’s also less distracting to the main story about the relationship between Erik and Charles. At least that’s what I’d assume.

On an aside, they really shouldn’t have Havok in there if he’s not related to Scott, they should have just called him something else all together since he’s an entirely different character.

I have to admit, I have no idea how good the movie is going to be. But I just like to keep the faith a bit.

Finally I wanted to mention that I’m actually enjoying this discussion. I hope you’re not taking anything too personal.